Des Moines Parent Spotlight: Shaunna Maxwell, Return To The Table

Des Moines Parent Spotlight

by Erin Huiatt

Des Moines Parent Spotlight: Shaunna Maxwell

This week’s ‘Des Moines Parent Spotlight’ we are highlighting Shaunna Maxwell founder of Return To The Table. Shaunna and I have known each other for a few years and when she recently announced she was launching her new business, I was ecstatic. Return To The Table is an amazing resource for families. Picky eaters anyone? She wants to help your family try new foods and have the entire family involved.

Learn more about Shaunna, oh and the cutest little show her daughter does on Sunday’s!

Give us a little background of your family and personal life! How many kids do you have? Have you lived in Des Moines all your life? Etc.

I have lived in Des Moines for the last 15 years and met my husband at while working together at TruGreen. We had sweet little Stella, who is now 7, our little dog MJ (stands for Michael Jackson) and we have been living this awesome adventure together. We love exploring outside, traveling and trying new things together.

What is your business, and what do you do?

I am a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner through the NTA and I started Return To The Table, a business that I have been dreaming of for years. I focus on working with moms to help them find their families a perfect version of health.

As a parent in today’s society, you get judgment no matter what you do. It is literally so tough to do the best you can as a parent and to not feel guilty about it. I want to help parents find an outlook on their health and wellness that they feel awesome about and that works for them.

I want to build that village that we all hear about and make it a real thing in Des Moines. A community where we can all support each other and raise each other up.

Why did you become a small business owner?

I truly want to make a difference in my community and feel like nutrition has been a calling for me. I have tried personal training and MLM businesses but in the back of my mind, I knew this was my path.

Health and wellness is a constant work in progress for people-it still are for our family too. I just want to make it easier for others and Des Moines has so many great resources I just need to bring them together.

Where is your favorite place to take your children to play indoors?

When Stella was little it would be any play place at any mall. It was so easy.

Now that she is 7 it is a little harder. We are lucky to have a great library on the Southside. We go there a few times a month for activities, computer time and of course to check out books.

I also love crafting so Glazed Expressions or any other place to get creative is the way to go.

Where is your favorite place to take your children to play outdoors?

We had a blast at the Nahas swimming pool this last summer. I don’t think anyone can beat our record of going down the slide 38 times in one day.

Stella also had a blast at Adventureland recently but I quickly learned I am too old to do many of the rides anymore.

Parent’s day/night out. Describe your perfect parent only day/night out in Des Moines.

Kevin and I love craft beer so our perfect date would start with a bike ride, stop for some bears at a local brewery, grab some food and then I have to stop somewhere for dessert. Molly’s Cupcakes are my absolute favorite.

What are some tips on juggling parenthood, working, and personal life?

I am early in the game so I am definitely not an expert. I struggle with finding balance in the day to day but I always remind myself there are seasons. There are seasons where one thing will be a bigger focus than others. Whether it is business, family, working out, whatever …. I can tell when the seasons of my priorities shift.

With my business, it has been especially helpful to involve Stella. She has a spot in my office that is all hers and she either draws, reads or writes when I am doing work in there. That way we can stay connected and it truly gets her excited about me starting my own business.

She has her Stella Sundays as a Return To The Table highlight and that gets her really excited. She is an aspiring Youtube star so this is helping her career too! Ha!!

What is your number one parenting tip?

Give yourself a little grace. I never knew that when you become a parent you would be questioning every single decision you ever make-literally Every. Single. Decision. It is tough and if you don’t give yourself a little grace and remind yourself that you are doing the best that you will drive yourself and your kids absolutely crazy.